A new video detailing the reasons why eight Hawai‘i Island food producers work to feed our island and choose an agrarian way of life was shared at the 2016 Taste.

Screened on several monitors throughout the event, the footage offered interviews filmed on location at Palani Ranch in Kailua-Kona, Double D Ranch in Laupahoehoe, KK Ranch in Laupahoehoe, Kuahiwi Ranch in Na‘alehu, Parker Ranch in Waimea, Hawaiian Hogs in Waimea, plus Best Farms and Robb Farms at Lalamilo Farmlots in Waimea.

For ease in online viewing, the video was split into seven, shorter segments; each one is about 1.5 to 2 minutes long. We share a sneak preview for each video; find their links below and tune in!

According to Palani’s president Britt Craven, the Kailua-Kona Ranch has been in operation for six generations as a cow-calf operation (calves are sold for finishing on the Mainland) while providing 100 head annually for local consumption.

Craven says Palani’s ranching family “loves what they do and the land” that’s entrusted in their care from previous generations.

“It’s about cattle ranching and that tradition, that heritage, of carrying it forward,” he emphasizes. “We’re stoked how the public has embraced locally produced proteins and vegetables and hope that continues…”

Joanna Nobriga feels its important for her children to be raised on a ranch as she says “they become better people knowing the amount of hard work they have to do on a day-to-day basis… just to maintain what we have on the ranch.”

She and husband Darcy raise cattle, sheep, hogs and hearts of palm in Laupahoehoe, plus goats in Puako. A fourth generation operation, Nobriga admits there’s always work to do and she and her husband can never leave the ranch to take a vacation together.

However, she prefers the ranch setting. “Where else can we go and have a beautiful office like this?” she asks.

Jason Moniz and his family ranch 750 mother cows and their calves on 5,200 acres of leasehold land on the northeast slopes of Mauna Kea near Honoka‘a. Moniz says it was “hard work” to get the pasture to the condition it is today.

KK Ranch markets calves different ways for finishing on the Mainland and keeps 30-40 head “home” annually for finishing locally. Moniz says his family got into ranching for a “second income,” as he had the background and education for it. In addition, it was something the family could do together.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but I find it enjoyable having the family close…especially the days we spend together on the ranch,” he shares.

Siblings Michelle and Guy Galimba, who grew up in the dairy industry, oversee 1,600 cattle on 9,000 acres in Na‘alehu. The animals are predominately sold to the local market, providing 900 head a year for island consumption. In operation since 1993, Kuahiwi sprawls on former sugar cane land.

“We’re raising our kids in the industry,” notes Michelle. “When you buy local beef you’re supporting local working families who take care of the land.” Guy adds, “Every day is different and can be frustrating, but I love what I do.”

Jason Van Tassell came to work in 2014 on a new grass-finishing beef program at the sprawling Waimea ranch in partnership with Ulupono Initiative. He says the program allows the ranch “to use good quality forage on the ranch” to finish animals locally. Sold as the Paniolo Cattle Company brand, the grass-finished beef has received good feedback, he says.

Brought up around horses and cattle all his life, Van Tassell cherishes watching cattle in the pasture and all facets of ranching, saying it’s not just a livelihood, but a life choice.

He adds, “I am really satisfied when I see an animal reach its full potential and end up in a restaurant or supermarket with our label on it. When I walk past that meat, I’m proud of what that product looks like.”

Hawaiian Hogs

A second-generation hog farmer in Waimea, Lloyd Case has 600 pigs, including 300 feral hogs. His son has shown an interest in taking over the farm someday and he hopes that happens.

“I call it a labor of love,” he grins. “We don’t really get rich and it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever do. But it’s in my blood.”

Case’s typical workday begins at 2 a.m. He picks up the discarded food waste from local hotels, cooks it and feeds it to the pigs. Then he checks all his feral traps and brings the captured animals to the farm, getting home around 5:30 p.m. Other jobs include de-worming the feral pigs and caring for them until they are sold to local restaurants who appreciate their “wild” flavor.

Explaining the importance of food sustainability, Case notes the Big Island produces superior quality food—beef, pork and vegetables. “We take care of our animals, that’s one thing that makes a difference…we are proud of what we do and what we raise.”

A third generation farmer, Earl Yamamoto of Best Farms said it takes “years” to create good, arable land and due to varied terrain and rocks, all the land can’t readily be utilized. Chris Robb of Robb Farms feels the scarcity of good farm and water resources makes farming a challenge.

“The beauty of Lalamilo (Farmlots) is the state had the foresight to utilize the upper Hamakua Ditch to allow us to farm in arid Waimea,” details Robb. He says the convenience of the on-site cooperative allows growers to load shipping containers for transport to nearby Kawaihae Harbor. “We can get our produce to the other islands in 24 hours.”

Regardless of the challenges, Robb finds the positive feedback from consumers gratifying, along with supplying the basic needs for people. “We have accomplished something…we employ people and keep money circulating here in our economy.”

Yamamoto gets satisfaction in watching things grow. “For me, it’s like raising kids or pets. You get a seed and every day you watch it grow until ready for harvest. Every day and every crop is different.

Expectations for locally produced meats—and the reasons for buying them— vary among restaurants, grocers and home cooks according to Big Isle ranchers and swine producers.

Paniolo Cattle Company

Paniolo Cattle Company in Waimea (Courtesy Paniolo Cattle Company)

Jason Van Tassell, of Parker Ranch’s Paniolo Cattle Company (PCC) in Waimea says “consumers want quality beef with the knowledge the animals were raised humanely and responsibly in a sustainable environment.” He feels local consumers want to know where their beef comes from and the story behind the product: the who, where, when, how and why.

Tassel adds that wholesalers want local beef “at a price they can support” while restaurants need “consistency in quality and supply.”

Paniolo Cattle Company in Waimea (Courtesy Paniolo Cattle Company)

To help meet the demand for locally produced beef, PCC committed to producing 1500 animals in 2014 and 2015 and has “plans to expand as the marketing chain strengthens.” PCC was launched in 2014 as a joint venture between Parker Ranch and Ulupono Initiative to produce a “more robust, local beef supply chain.” PCC is attempting to reduce beef production costs by focusing on animal husbandry based on sound pasture management, including operating irrigated forage pastures and employing rotational pasture techniques.

PCC beef newly available to shoppers

Starting in February 2016, Paniolo Cattle Company began selling its labeled beef at Safeway supermarkets. Find it at the Hilo and Kona stores on Hawai‘i Island and the Beretania Street location on O‘ahu. It is also available to the food service industry through Y. Hata & Company’sChefZone.http://paniolocattle.com

Kuahiwi Ranch Natural Beef

Kuahiwi Ranch in Na‘ahelu (Courtesy Kuahiwi Ranch)

Michelle Galimba of Kuahiwi Ranch in Na‘alehu says consumers desire a consistent quality product that contributes to the sustainability of Hawai‘i. She finds having a consistent supply is more important to grocers and restaurateurs while chefs request specific cuts and new products.

“A lot of chefs are interested in the idea of utilizing the whole animal, but logistically, it’s difficult for them to do so while following their menu,” she details. Home consumers, she says, want a wide range of cuts and want to know about the product. “If they believe in the product they are willing to pay more.”

The family owned and operated ranch offers pasture-raised, locally produced beef that’s free of antibiotics and hormones. Marketed as “natural beef,” animals are raised free-range on grass pasture and finished on grass supplemented with barley, corn and cottonseed. Meat is processed at Hawai‘i Beef Packers in Pa‘auilo with third-party certified humane practices.

Where to enjoy Kuahiwi beef

Established in 1993, Kuahiwi ranches 2,500 head on 8,500 acres. The beef, branded as Kuahiwi Ranch Natural Beef, is sold at Foodland, Whole Foods statewide and the Volcano Village and Na‘alehu Farmers Markets. It’s served on O‘ahu at Town and Alan Wong’s restaurants and on the menu at the Big Isle’s Volcano House, Kilauea Lodge and Eagles Lighthouse Café—all in Volcano Village. www.kuahiwiranch.com

Ahualoa Hog Farm

Ahualoa Hog Farm (Courtesy Ahualoa Hog Farm)

Daphne McKeehan of Ahualoa Hog Farm feels consumers need to know local meat “is not from mass-produced animals and a lot of thought and care goes into it.”

Located in Ahualoa, the McKeehans raise hogs and lambs for market and specialize in the “clean, disease-free” breeding stock of these animals. They offer a locally raised “heritage” breed of hog. Heritage breeds are known for exceptional meat qualities that aren’t common in mass-produced swine operations. Ahualoa’s heritage breeds take longer to grow and come to market maturity, but they offer exceptional meat. Hogs are raised antibiotic- and hormone-free on both grain and pasture. The farm also produces lambs in a similar way geared as meat-producing (not wool) animals.

Buy meat direct from farm

Ahualoa sells its meat directly from the farm to isle residents two ways. It can be purchased as a live animal that the buyer can harvest and process or take to a commercial processor. Meat is also sold in frozen packages by the meat cut and pound. www.ahualoahogfarm.com

Ranchers and meat producers work closely with chefs to meet their needs. Whether the goal is to achieve a certain flavor, texture or cut, local meat providers are catering to chefs in a variety of ways.

Many Chefs Prefer Feral Pork

Lloyd Case at Hawaiian Hogs in WaimeaPhoto Courtesy Lloyd Case

Lloyd Case provides both feral and commercial swine for restaurants with his Waimea business, Hawaiian Hogs, Inc. He traps feral hogs of various sizes and also raises commercial hogs. Hawaiian Hogs donates several hogs every year for Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range.

In livestock farming for almost 40 years, Case deals with around 600 hogs on his farm, saying he gets a variety of requests from chefs concerning size of animal and flavor and texture of meat. In addition, he notes Hawaiians prefer the feral animal for luʻaus, and says many chefs prefer it too. Case says these chefs got acquainted with feral pork after assigned the meat at Taste.

“The meat of the feral hog has a different taste as the animal digests a more varied diet in the wild,” details Case. “It’s really a better eating animal and is chemical free.”

Case prefers to catch feral hogs when smaller—about 80 pounds—as they are easier to handle. He gets requests for all sizes though and also traps older hogs.

“Some people want to cook the pig on a spit so then size is key,” Case shares. “We also get requests for an older, bigger animal to make sausages, laulau or kalua pig. The meat of these animals tends to have a good texture and taste for these culinary uses.”

According to Case, some chefs request hogs fed a diet rich in macadamia nuts and fruit. The meat of animals on this specialty diet is especially juicy and flavorful.

“Regarding our commercial swine, we have found that hogs are happier and contented when raised on the ground; so that’s what we do,” adds Case. “When animals are stress free, the meat is softer and makes for better eating.”

Chefs often buy certain beef cuts from ranches or the isle’s processing plants—Hawaii Beef Producers in Pa‘auilo or Kulana Foods in Hilo. Michelle Galimba of Kuahiwi Ranch in Na‘alehu has been working with chefs for about four years and has gotten to know the grass-fed beef preferences of chefs. Some want certain cuts, while others—like Chef Justin Wu at the Whole Ox on O‘ahu—wants the whole carcass. “Justin wants the carcass broken down only into quarters so he can cut it to his liking,” explain Galimba. “Most chefs want it broken down more.”

Galimba says she working with the new management at Volcano House to use the whole animal rather than certain cuts. Ranchers get more value for their animals when there is no waste.

“When I first started selling our beef, there were certain cuts I wasn’t familiar with,” Galimba adds. “Now I’m looking at other cuts differently as chefs are willing to use them.” Case in point is what Hawaii Beef Producers refers to as “flap meat” or “skirt steak,” another example is the flat iron steak.

The consumer preference for teriyaki beef—thinly sliced beef marinated in teriyaki sauce—is a godsend for ranchers who need to market the large primal cut at the animal’s rump, called the round. Galimba says the round is a lean, large cut and can be chewy. Top round steak is the beef cut with the fewest calories and the least amount of fat.

“Here in Hawai‘i, teri beef is part of our diet and so grocers will thinly slice round so people can make it,” shares Galimba. “It’s also on a lot of menus.”

Marketing Meat Sustainably

Jill Mattos of Hawaii Beef Producers says she is “constantly” working with chefs and resorts to fill orders for select and certain cuts. For example, a Kohala Coast hotel recently asked for a “109 rib” or rib primal to make several prime rib dinners.

“We might get a request for a steamship round because the client wants to put it on a huli huli machine (spit),” she adds. “A chef may need a bunch of rib eye steaks for a special dinner.” Mattos, who is fourth generation in the grass-fed beef industry and also a rancher, says Hawaii Beef Producers also gets requests for shoulder clods from the Maui Cattle Company

With a goal to be sustainable and use all animal cuts, Mattos will call clients “if she has an abundance of an item” and ask if they want to use it by offering a special. Meat is also branded and sold as Hawaii Big Island Beef at JJ’s Country Meat Market in Honokaʻa.

Producing Consistent Quality Beef

Fulfilling the need to provide chefs with a consistent quality of product is the goal of Tom Asano, sales manager for Kulana Foods. Asano says Kulana works with over a dozen ranches to source grass-fed beef. “These ranchers produce consistent quality beef because they know the importance of providing their animals with quality pasture to bring them to market,” shares Asano. “They tell me they are farming grass.”

“With the recent trend of farm-to-table cuisine, we see more chefs asking for not only grass-fed beef, but also Hawaiian wild boar, island lamb and island goats,” adds Asano. “More chefs are looking to locally source quality meat for their guests and are featuring those meats at the center of the plate.”